Shotokan's Secret

When is a reverse punch not a reverse punch? Well, you can focus your punches in different ways to produce different effects. For instance, there are the extremely strong punches that focus inside the opponent's body, intended for breaking ribs (or skulls). Then there are the short, sharp "ringing" punches that produce a shock wave that makes internal organs "ring" like a bell-- usually producing unconsciousness or loss of body control. And finally there is the "fluid shock punch" which aims through the opponent's body, and has the effect of launching him backward through the air.

A reverse punch can be any of those three.

The first time I met Shihan Tom Frobel, he was all excited about teaching me the "fluid shock punch." I didn't know what he meant. I had never heard that term before.

We had just met each other for the first time at the Seaview resort in Atlantic City. Tom held up a kick shield and asked me to punch it. I did a nice shocky JKA reverse punch. He said, "Oh, no, I mean a fluid shock punch!" So I held the shield and he demonstrated.

We were in a lounge with two facing couches. Tom's punch knocked me right over one of the couches. I'm over 200 lbs, so that was an adventure. I was on the floor, wedged between the couch and the wall. It wasn't easy to get out of there.

I said, "Oh, THAT punch." Tom held the shield and I hit it. Tom flew over the opposite couch, slid down the wall, and came to rest on the floor.

He got up, laughing, and said, "That was OK, but do it more like this!" I flew over the couch again and crashed into the wall.

I climbed back over the couch and said, "You mean like this?" He crashed into the wall again.

We had to stop. We were laughing too hard to continue.

Tom and I were both in our late 50's at the time. The hotel staff were horrified, but they didn't say anything.

I swear that we had not had anything to drink. That came later.

Dr. Clayton,
Would you elaborate on the mechanics of the 'fluid' reverse punch? Is it similar to Bruce Lees' famous one inch punch?

Would you elaborate on the mechanics of the 'fluid' reverse punch? Is it similar to Bruce Lees' famous one inch punch?

The one-inch punch is a small action. The "fluid shock" punch is a great big pushing action where the whole body participates. You step into the punch by lengthening your front stance, and use that forward body momentum to drive the recipient's center of gravity a good foot or more to the rear.

As the receiver, do not brace your foot to the rear to resist the punch. Besides being unrealistic, one of you will get hurt if you do that. There is too much energy in play. Stand with your feet side-by-side. Use mats. Put a mat against the wall, too. And don't forget to use the kicking shield. Don't lay this punch on somebody's solar plexus unless you mean it.

It was arguably irresponsible for a couple of middle-aged men to be throwing each other over the furniture like that, but we were giddy with the joy of meeting a fellow karate fanatic. There are a few "wild men" still in the hills, and our greeting rituals are not for sensible mortals to understand. And remember that, unlike most karateka, Tom and I were trained to fall. We relax as we fall, which makes all the difference. Most people tense up and then get hurt.

Have you learned the bicep bump? That's something too.